Portable Back Stretching Device Using Self-Weight Traction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing back stretching devices are expensive and non-portable, often requiring inversion or weights for decompression, which limits their accessibility and convenience for relieving lower back pain.
Innovation Solution
A portable back stretching device that positions the user in a 90/90 position, utilizing a handle unit, support unit, hold-down unit, and adjustment unit to apply decompression force using the user's arms and shoulders, allowing for adjustable leg constraint to facilitate stretching and relaxation of the thoracic, lower back, and sacrum areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional inversion tables or horizontal traction devices are used, then back decompression and pain relief are achieved, but the devices are expensive and non-portable
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional modules: a support unit with first and second support members for leg positioning, a hold-down unit with third and fourth support members for securing the legs, and a handle unit with handgrips. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates portability while maintaining decompression effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables the user to perform self-traction by positioning their own legs in the 90/90 position between the support members and using their body weight applied through the handle unit. This eliminates the need for external weights, inversion mechanisms, or complex mechanical traction systems, making the device portable and affordable while achieving effective back decompression.
2Force
If inversion or weights are used for decompression, then traction force is applied to the spine, but the devices require complex mechanical systems and are not portable
Solution Approach 1:
The user's own body weight serves as the traction force source. By positioning the legs in the 90/90 position between the support members and gripping the handle unit, the user applies their body weight as a self-regulating traction force to the spine, eliminating the need for external weights or complex mechanical force application systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle unit with handgrips serves as an intermediary that allows the user to apply their body weight effectively to the spine. The support members and hold-down unit act as intermediaries to position and secure the legs in the correct 90/90 position, enabling self-traction without direct mechanical force application.
3Device complexity
If the body is positioned straight for traction, then the device structure is simpler, but the psoas muscle remains tense and lower back curvature is not flattened, reducing intervertebral separation
Solution Approach 1:
The support members are specifically designed and positioned to contact and support the legs at precise locations to achieve the 90/90 position. This localized positioning of the support members ensures proper alignment of the lower back and flattening of the lumbar curvature, maximizing intervertebral separation and psoas muscle relaxation.
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes the positional parameters of the legs and hips to achieve the 90/90 position, which fundamentally alters the mechanical state of the psoas muscle and lower back curvature. This parameter change from a straight body position to a 90/90 position enables enhanced intervertebral separation and muscle relaxation.
Data Source
AI summary
A back stretching device includes a handle unit including two parallel handgrip units. A support unit includes a lower cross bar connecting between front ends of the two handgrip tubes. A hold-down unit includes two parallel guide rods and an upper cross bar connecting between upper ends of the guide rods and parallel to the lower cross bar. The adjustment unit couples the guide rods to the handgrip tubes to define a distance-adjustable constraint space between the upper and lower cross bars. The constraint space receives the legs of a user to extend therethrough in a closely juxtaposed manner with the lower cross bar supporting the underside of the legs and with the upper cross bar constraining the upper side of the legs. The hands of the user are allowed to hold the two handgrip tubes to support the legs and body of the user for carrying out a desired stretching and exercise operation.